"In
the town of San Antonio de Bexar on the 18th day of the month of October,
1806, I, Ensign Don Francisco Adams, with two attendant witnesses,
went to the guard house, when I found Manuel Bega, a
prisoner. I had him appear before me, and made him raise his right
hand and make the sign of the cross.

"Asked:
If he would swear before God and the holy cross to tell the truth
concerning the points which I was going to ask? He said, Yes, I
swear.

"Asked:
His name, nativity and religion? He said his name was Manuel Bega,
a native of Santa Rosa, an Apostolic Roman Catholic.

"Asked:
Why, or with what purpose, did he leave this capital without a passport
from this government, and if he had gone to a foreign country? He
said: That he was a servant of Francisco Farias, a resident of this
town; he sent him with another servant named Jose Antonio Farias,
to take about eighteen animals of the aforesaid master and seven of his
own and deliver them on the Trinity River, to the mulatto Dennis,
who also set out from the aforesaid ranch together with the witness and
six other men. They were driving nineteen horses and twelve donkeys
for the purpose of taking them as far as Opelousas and Natchez.

"Asked:
Why, if he was going only to the Trinity River, he went as far as
Opelousas? He said: Because the mulatto Dennis had
deceived them. He had promised to pay them for the animals at the
aforesaid river, where they were to meet two Englishmen and two Frenchmen
with money and goods for this purpose. In this manner, telling them
that further on they would meet them, he led them as far as
Opelousas. Forced by hunger and necessity, they decided not to
return to this capital, as they should have done except for the aforesaid
reason.

"Asked:
If, after having joined the aforesaid Dennis and his party, they met on
the road any people with stock? He said: That near the
settlement of the Coshatta Indians they met four men; these were Jose
Maria Garcia, Juluan Nandin, Juan Hernandez and Elogio, who
were driving about thirty or forty animals for the purpose of selling them
to the said Dennis, under the same arrangement that the witness was
driving his; but because they did not meet the said Dennis, who had
promised to meet them at the Trinity River, they crossed to the other
side, searching for him. He deceived them and they were obliged to
continue their trip as far as the said Opelousas.

"Asked:
What he had done with the stock he was taking; and if he knew what became
of those of the others that joined his company during the course of the
journey? He said: that if [sic] the seven animals of his own,
he sold five to the aforesaid Dennis, and traded two for a horse to
the same man, but that he was not paid for the first five mentioned.
Five were the only remaining ones that belonged to his master, because the
rest had strayed away. The companion of the aforesaid witness sold
them to several individuals of Opelousas, whom he does not know, and the
rest of the animals that the aforesaid Dennis and his companions
had, were taken to Natchez, where he heard say they were going to, they
had been sold.

"Asked:
If he saw, in the course of his trip, Domingo Games, a civilian
resident of La Bahia del Espiritu Santo? He said, that he had.
He ansed [sic] that at the place of Reten (store), he, with another
servant, overtook them at nightfall. They were driving about fifteen
head of stock, which they sold in Opelousas to a resident named Miguel
Hernandez.

"Asked:
Why there was a contradiction between what he told Dionisio Valle,
commandant of Nacogdoches, and what he had just finished saying? He
said, In regard to the questions asked by the aforesaid commandant, that
since he did not take an oath, he did not mind lying, but in the deposition
that he had just given, he had told the truth. He ratified and
confirmed this after it had been read to him. He said he did not
have anything to add to or retract. Not knowing how to write his
name, he made the sign of the cross, and I signed it, together with the
two attendant witnesses, Juan Jose Calderon, corporal of the
company of San Antonio de Bexar, and Jose Miguel Ramirez, sergeant
of militia.

XFrancisco Adams (rubric)

Of
Assistance:Jose Miguel Ramirez (rubric)

Of
Assistance:Juan Jose Calderon (rubrin)

*******

"On
the sais [sic] day, month and year, accompanied by the two assisting
witnesses, I went to the main guard house of this town, where was found a
prisoner Domingo Games, inhabitant of La Bahia del Espiritu Santo,
whom I made to appear before the said witnesses, and having made him raise
his right hand, he made the sign of a cross.

"Asked:
Do you swear to the Lord God and this sign of a cross to tell the truth
concerning what I am going to ask you?

"He
said: Yes, I swear.

"Asked:
His name, country, religion and age?

"He
said: He is called Domingo Games, native and citizen of the
Presidio of La Bahia; religion Apostolic Roman Catholic; of the age of
from twenty-six to twenty-seven years.

"Asked:
With what permission or reason he had introduced livestock to the Province
of Louisiana, from whence he brought them, and to whom did they belong?

"He
said: That without permission from anyone; that the declarant, in
company with a citizen of Nacogdoches called Vicente Guarnaca, they
went out from the ranch of the Arocas with eleven head of livestock,
belonging to the declarant, with the intention of carrying them to
Louisiana to sell them; and that on the road, in the neighborhood of the
Cibolo, they found three hobbled horses, and brought them also with the
rest of the animals, and that in the place of the Reten (Reserve), he
encountered a party in which the mulatto Dennis was going, to whom
they joined themselves because of not knowing the road.

"Asked:
Where did he go with them to sell the livestock that they were carrying?

"He
said: to the place of Opelousas where he sold the animals that he
was carrying to one Don Miguel, a citizen of that post, and that
the other companions with whom the declarant was going to separated in
different directions, and he returned to the same ranch from whence he
left.

"Asked:
If he has anything else to add to or leave off concerning the declaration
which he has given under the obligation of the oath he made?

"He
said: No, what he said is the truth on which it is affirmed and
ratified, and because of not knowing how to write, he made a sign of a
cross, and I signed it with those of my assistance.

XFrancisco Adams (rubric)

Of
assistance:Juan Jose Calderon (rubric)

Of assistance:Jose Miguel Ramirez (rubric)

********

"In
the said town, on the 8th of the month of November of the present
year. Before two witnesses of assistance, I made to appear Francisco
Farias, included in this cause, whom I made to raise the right hand in
sign of a cross, and

"Asked:
Do you swear to our Lord God and this sign of a cross, to tell the truth
concerning the points that I am going to ask you?

"He
said: Yes, I swear.

"Asked:
His name, country, age and religion?

"He
said: He is called Francisco Farias, of the age of thirty-six
years, a native of this town, Apostolic Roman Catholic.

"Asked:
How many beasts he sent with a servant Jose Antonio Farias, and to
what destination?

"He
said: Fourteen mares, one ass, and a horse for the purpose of
carrying them to the Trinity River, to deliver them to the mulatto Dennis,
who had to pay for them in money...

"Asked:
If he has anything else to add to or take away concerning the declaration
that he has given?

"He
said: No, that what he has said is the truth, under the obligation
of the oath he made, and he signed it with me and the two assisting
witnesses."

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